Today is Corpus Christi, a very important Catholic Holiday, in Poland.
The Feast of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ) or Boże Ciało is a Catholic Feast observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday in villages, towns and cities all over Poland. In smaller areas, virtually the whole village or town becomes involved in an organized procession through the streets. Householders will decorate their windows with religious icons. Traffic is stopped and at midday the congregation leaves the Church. It will then walk in a procession along the streets, stopping en route at various temporary shrines in order to pray. The shrines are decorated with branches from birch trees and members of the procession will tear off twigs from the various shrines for luck and happiness. Young girls dressed in their first communion dresses (which look like white wedding dresses) scatter rose and other flower petals on the streets. These petals are for Christ who Catholics believe is walking the streets alongside the people during these Corpus Christi processions. Throughout the festival, the Priest walks around holding the monstrance under some sort of umbrella (called a baldachin) held by four or more men from the village or town, while altar boys swirl burning incense around him. The most prominent procession in Warsaw is along Krakowskie Przedmiescie, along the route to Old Town. In Lowicz, the procession is very lively and colorful as the participants dress in the national costume.
